Use
Universal precautions were typically practiced in any environment where workers were exposed to bodily fluids, such as:
- Blood
- Semen
- Vaginal secretions
- Synovial fluid
- Amniotic fluid
- Cerebrospinal fluid
- Pleural fluid
- Peritoneal fluid
- Pericardial fluid
Bodily fluids that did not require such precautions included:
- Feces
- Nasal secretions
- Urine
- Vomitus
- Perspiration
- Sputum
- Saliva
Universal precautions were the infection control techniques that were recommended following the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s. Every patient was treated as if infected and therefore precautions were taken to minimize risk.
Essentially, universal precautions were good hygiene habits, such as hand washing and the use of gloves and other barriers, correct handling of hypodermic needles and scalpels, and aseptic techniques.
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